


Gold and Greene

by scoresandstars



Category: The Prom - Sklar/Beguelin/Martin
Genre: Christmas Cookies, F/F, Married Greenelan, This is some fluffy af Christmas fluff that we all deserve, and more!, cuddling by the fire, will there be a part two to this? Who can say
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:21:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21955810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scoresandstars/pseuds/scoresandstars
Summary: Greenelan spend their first married Christmas in a snowy cabin, and a ridiculous amount of fluff ensues.
Relationships: Alyssa Greene/Emma Nolan
Comments: 3
Kudos: 26





	Gold and Greene

**Author's Note:**

> Here is the song Emma sings later on. :) 
> 
> https://youtu.be/AK4ofpABrBo
> 
> For those who celebrate; Merry Christmas!

Emma slowed the car to a stop on the packed snow, looking out the windshield to where they’d be staying for the next three days.

The log cabin was quaint, with a front porch stacked with cut firewood and two wooden rocking chairs, creaking softly in the blustery wind. 

Emma glanced over to the passenger’s seat where Alyssa’s face was smushed against her seat belt, and smiles. She releases her seat belt, catching it so the buckle wouldn’t slam against the door and wake the sleeping woman beside her. She stuffs the car keys into her coat pocket and puts on her long-forgotten gloves before opening the door gently.

Emma rounds the car to Alyssa’s door, opening it slowly and snaking her arm across Alyssa’s lap to undo her seat belt. Alyssa’s brow furrows at the intrusion of cold air and she blinks awake.

“Welcome back to earth, love, we’re here!” Emma grins winningly as Alyssa smiles softly up at her. She slides her hands behind Alyssa’s back and under her legs, moving as if to stand with Alyssa in her arms. She doesn’t have a very good grip, however, and her legs slip out from under her, her hands sliding to break her fall. She lays on the snow for a moment, before bursting into laughter. 

Chuckling, Alyssa offers her a hand and pulls her back to her feet. “Emma, darling, you don’t have to carry me across every threshold, you know.”

Emma looks at her incredulously. “Of course I do, what kind of wife would I be if I didn’t?” 

Alyssa smiles indulgently and stands, using her hands to smooth down Emma’s wild hair. “You’d be mine, and I love you regardless of whether you carry me over thresholds or not.” She uses the fingers threaded in Emma’s hair to pull her close enough to kiss. "Now, while it is cold as hell out here, I can think of the perfect way for us to get warm.” Emma closes her eyes, humming, and only opens them when she feels Alyssa’s fingers leave her hair.

“Loser has to bring the bags in. Race you inside!” Alyssa says, turning abruptly and darting down the path to the front door, leaving a flabbergasted Emma with her open mouth in the dust.

“ _Hey!”_ Emma protests against Alyssa’s cackling, taking off after her.

Alyssa easily beats her to the door, and leans against the door frame with a playful grin when Emma stomps onto the front porch.

“Better luck next time, baby.” Alyssa taunts, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger teasingly. Emma adopts a dramatic frown, and Alyssa hides her smile behind her hand.

“I can’t believe,” Emma starts sadly, walking towards Alyssa dolefully, “that you would betray our vows so early into our marriage. I’m pretty sure “no backstabbing” was one of them, right?”

Alyssa snorts, bringing her arms up to lace her fingers behind Emma’s neck. “Poor Emma. However can I make it up to you?”

Emma grins wickedly. “I can think of a few great ways, just off the top of my head.”

Alyssa swats her arm playfully. “Very funny. We still have all the groceries to bring in and we have to check in with the fam _and_ put the cookies on if we want them in the next hour, which if I know you, will be a necessity.”

Emma pauses, clearly weighing her options. “You know what, you’re absolutely right babe, I’m gonna go get our stuff. Those cookies are the most pressing matter on _earth_ , apart from this.” She bends to capture Alyssa’s lips in a quick, passionate kiss, breaking away almost as soon as she started to carefully jog back to the car, leaving a speechless Alyssa in her wake.

Emma returns with both suitcases and deposits them on the porch in the time it takes Alyssa to recover and unlock the front door to the cottage. She moves the bags just inside the doorway while Emma locks the rented Jeep in the distance, shuffling back to the front porch with both arms loaded with grocery bags with enough food to last them several days.

Alyssa takes half the groceries from a grateful Emma, and both women step inside to admire the interior of the cabin properly for the first time, shutting the front door behind them.

The cabin is small on the inside too, all one floor with an open concept. They enter into the living room, which has a bed in between the living room and kitchen areas. The bathroom must be behind the random door in the kitchen area. 

Someone has clearly decorated the cabin for the holidays because next to the empty fireplace is a fully-decked-out Christmas tree and the bed’s canopy frame has lights hanging from it.

“Well this is pretty magical,” Alyssa breathes, stunned.

“Yeah,” Emma agrees next to her, eyes darting around the room to take in every detail, “the brochure definitely didn’t lie.”

They walk over to place the groceries on the counter, and Alyssa grabs Emma’s hand, raising it to her mouth to kiss the gold wedding ring on her finger. “You wanna start the fire, love? I can put the groceries away.”

Emma smiles at her winningly. “Of course, my darling wife. My sun and stars. I would do _anything_ for you.” Alyssa shakes her head fondly, and Emma presses a kiss to her forehead. “Be right back.”

Alyssa turns and begins loading the food into either the fridge or the cabinet, leaving out the ingredients for cookies as she does. Lost in her own thoughts, she misses the door opening and closing as a shivering Emma walks in with an armful of wood. She gently places her guitar by the door and Alyssa glances up to watch her, curious. 

Emma stacks the wood on top of the metal grate in the fireplace, rubbing her chin as soon as she’s done. “I feel like there should be a starter log or something?” She calls out to Alyssa, “Honey, am I missing something?”

Alyssa smiles indulgently and asks “have you ever made a fire without a starter log, darling?” Emma looks at her helplessly, and Alyssa laughs. “No worries babe, just watch and learn.” 

Alyssa crosses the room gracefully, grabbing the box of matches from the fireplace mantle and a newspaper from the stack next to the fireplace. She crumples the newspaper page by page, kneeling to stuff them at the bottom of the fireplace and light them with the match. The flames lick the sides of the pile of wood, and soon enough a fire is blazing, filling the cabin with warmth.

“You amaze me every day, Alyssa Greene,” Emma says when Alyssa pulls back to sit on the floor and admire her work, “I’m going to be one of those people who brag about having a wife that can do anything, aren’t I?”

Alyssa chuckles. “I mean. If the shoe fits, babe.” 

Emma shoots her a look and Alyssa’s smile stretches into a grin. 

“You’re lucky you’re cute.” Emma complains jokingly, crawling to rest her head on Alyssa’s shoulder. Alyssa’s arms come up to wrap around Emma securely and they watch the fire together, content to snuggle into each other’s warmth. 

Several minutes pass, and Alyssa’s fingers have started playing with Emma’s hair, lightly scratching at her scalp. 

“Emma. Love. Don’t forget we have to make the cookies.”

Emma pouts against her shoulder, and Alyssa’s eyes crinkle in delight.

“But _babe_ ,” Emma implores, “why can’t we just stay here all night? I’ve got everything I need between this fire and my favorite person in the world, we don’t need to leave this spot.” She turns her head slightly to begin pressing kisses across Alyssa’s shoulder. “In fact I can think of several ways we could stay occupied here.”

“Trouble,” Alyssa breathes, “you are nothing but trouble.” Emma grins widely up at her, eyes twinkling in the light of the fire.

There is a sudden cascade of urgent knocks on the front door, and the couple exchanges a worried glance.

“Who could that be?” Alyssa chews her bottom lip worriedly. Emma kisses her cheek swiftly and stands. 

“Don’t worry, love. I’m sure it’s no one. Probably some kids playing ding-dong-ditch or something.”

Alyssa smiles, furrowing her eyebrows as Emma crosses the room. “Really? Ding-dong-ditchers up on this secluded mountain?”

Emma pulls open the door a crack, and opens it all the way once she sees the kindly old woman standing on her front porch. She is short and stout, appears to be more sweater than person, and is holding a metal dispenser with some kind of liquid sloshing around inside.

“Hello, dearie!” The woman says in a lilting Irish accent, stepping over the threshold. “We have some gifts for ye!”

“Oh, wow, thank you so much, that’s very kind of you.” Emma says, stepping back to allow the woman to pass. A tall reed of a man follows her inside with two containers of his own, and both elderly people set them down carefully on the counter. Alyssa walks over to take Emma’s hand.

“Oh, ‘tweren't from us, Lass, but from some gentleman named ‘Barry’, as it were. When he paid fer this cabin he asked if we ‘ad anythin’ like this we could do fer ya, and he told us to give ye “the works”, so that’s what we’re doin’!” The old man said merrily, adjusting his tweed derby cap once his hands are free.

“Oh, we forgot ta introduce ourselves, this here is Seamus,” the woman says, gesturing to the man, who waves cheerfully, “and I meself am Maggie, at your service. We run the cabins, make sure ye have anythin’ ye need. Now these pots should keep ‘em warm, but if ye need them heated all ye have to do is plug them in and they should be warm in a jiffy!”

“Very important question,” Seamus begins, “do ye have whipped cream fer the hot cocoa?” He taps one of the dispensers on the counter, “because that is an essential part of th’ hot cocoa experience!” 

“Yes, we do have some, thank you.” Alyssa answers with a warm smile. Emma looks at her curiously. 

“Hello lass, what is yer name?” Maggie asks kindly, walking over to clasp Alyssa’s free hand between her own.

“Alyssa”, she answers. 

“Oh, _Alyssa_ , what a beautiful name!” Maggie coos. “And what about ye lassie?” She asks, turning to Emma.

“Emma, ma’am.” Emma grins. 

“Strong Irish name, tha’!” Seamus pipes up, walking over jauntily, “‘Opefully ye have some Irish names stored for when ye have kids ‘o yer own! Always liked the name “Connor” meself!”

Maggie smacks him on the arm when he’s in range. “Don’t scare them off ye fiend.” She gestures with her eyes at her husband. “This one loves the wee babes, especially when they’re from couples who ‘ave stayed here with us for a spell!”

“Well, when my wife and I are blessed with kids, we’ll make sure to come back and visit.” Alyssa states, snaking an arm around Emma’s waist. Emma kisses her forehead, and Alyssa squeezes her tighter.

“Ahh, young love.” Seamus says, wrapping his arms around Maggie and kissing the top of her head.

“We’ll leave ye to it then, have a good night lassies!” Maggie says, pulling Seamus out the door behind her, leaving the cabin with as much fanfare as they entered it.

Emma blinks at their retreat as Alyssa chuckles against her. “C’mon, love, let's get these cookies in the oven.”

Emma follows her dutifully into the kitchen, snaking her arms around Alyssa’s waist so that they don’t get separated, leading to a short walk filled with laughter and bumping into each other.

Baking cookies was a tradition for Emma and Alyssa. Back when they weren’t out in high school, they would find a way to bake cookies for each other as a small gesture to show that they were thinking about one another. Once they moved into their first apartment, baking cookies became another way for them to spend quality time together, working side by side to achieve one end goal, namely a delicious one.

They take turns kneading the dough, rolling it out with a rolling pin and using a paring knife to cut out different shapes. Emma places the cookies on the silpat mat they brought from home, places the mat on a cookie sheet, and Alyssa places it in the oven, setting the timer for twelve minutes.

“Good work babe.” Alyssa says approvingly, drying her freshly-cleaned hands, “once these start baking the whole house will smell like cookies, the fire, and the Christmas tree, so we are living our best hipster bath-and-body-works lives.”

Emma chuckles, pulling out the colored icing and placing it in decorating bags. “Whatever you say, dear. On this week’s episode of “hipsters or lesbians: winter edition” we dare to ask the question: why not both?” 

Alyssa barks out a laugh before her eyes grow round in shock. “Oh, Emma, I think we forgot to check in with my mom!”

She pulls out her cellphone, dialing her mom, who thankfully picks up after the second ring.

“Hi honey!” Veronica says, and Alyssa puts her on speakerphone, “how are my girls doing?”

“We’re fine, mom.” Alyssa sighs happily, feeling Emma wrap her arms around her waist from behind, kissing her shoulder sweetly.

“Hi mom!” Emma projects, and Alyssa turns to press a quick kiss to her wife’s smile.

“Hello, dear!” Veronica pipes up, “how’s my favorite daughter?”

Emma smiles smugly at Alyssa, while Alyssa lets out an indignant “ _Mom_!” 

“Daughter- _in-law_ , darling, you didn’t let me finish.” Veronica admonishes playfully, Emma still chortling behind her. “How’s the cabin?”

The end the call shortly after because their cell reception is so spotty, and they still have a few minutes left on the timer, so Emma pulls Alyssa into a hug and they stand there, swaying slightly, happy as can be. 

“Oh, babe,” Emma says, drawing back slightly, “why’d you pack whipped cream if we didn’t bring hot chocolate?”

Alyssa’s expression turns coy. “Maybe we can find out together, later.”

Emma’s face goes blank before dropping her head onto Alyssa’s shoulder. “You’re gonna be the death of me, Alyssa Greene.”

The timer goes off, but Alyssa ignores it to run her hands comfortingly up and down Emma’s back. “You gonna be okay there, wifey?”

Emma lifts her head again to narrow her eyes at her wife. “Don’t you tease me, darling wife, that’s just rude.”

“Hmm,” Alyssa hums, kissing Emma lightly, “if you think that’s teasing….. ‘scuse me honey, I have to get the cookies.”

Alyssa pulls away abruptly, and Emma swears over her giggles as she pulls the cookies out and sets them on the stove top to cool.

Emma pulls out her phone dramatically. “Hey Siri, do you have the number for the ACLU? I have a hate crime to report.” 

“Oh my god.” Alyssa laughs next to her, but otherwise ignores her wife.

“Yes, hello, Ellen? My wife is ignoring me.” Emma says, speaking into her phone and shooting her best puppy eyes at Alyssa, who finally turns and bursts into laughter.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I married a comedian.” Alyssa explains to the empty room with a long-suffering sigh. Emma grins in response, drawing closer.

“Lucky your wife is so funny,” Emma explains with an air of wisdom, “how else would you be entertained for the rest of your life?”

“Mmm.” Alyssa hums again, drawing herself closer to Emma’s gravitational pull, “lucky I love my wife, is more like it.”

“Funny, I’m hearing the same thing.” Emma leans the rest of the way to capture her lips in a kiss. Alyssa’s hands come up to her shoulders as one of her own rests on Alyssa’s hip, and Emma knows that now is the perfect time to strike.

Alyssa breaks their kiss with a surprised _pop_ when Emma’s finger trails down her cheek, leaving a sticky residue behind. She looks at the green finger Emma hides in her mouth, the still-open icing bag, and connects the dots.

“ _Emma Elizabeth Nolan_!” She gasps, and Emma releases the finger from her mouth with a gleeful grin.

“Actually, babe, it’s Emma Elizabeth _Greene_.” She says, waving her finger tauntingly.

Alyssa can’t help the laughter that escapes her mouth, covering her face with her hand and running it down in exasperation. Her fingers come back green, and she groans.

“Actually this is, um. I suppose as good a time as any to say it, but, I wasn’t exactly joking.” Emma bites down on her smile nervously. “Remember how we said we’d wait to figure out last names?” Alyssa nods, understanding. “I think I’ve decided. If you’re still okay with it I…. I’d like to take your name.” 

Alyssa blinks, swallowing around the frog in her throat.

“Are you sure?” She croaks.

Emma smiles. “Yeah. Your family is the one who has accepted me as one of their own, ‘Lys, and now I just want to make it official in here.” She points to her own heart, and adds thoughtfully “and, I suppose, on my driver’s license.”

“What about Betsy? And Greg?” Alyssa questions carefully.

“She and I have talked about it, and she says that since my middle name is already hers, she’s fine with me taking your last name. And Greg just wants godfather rights at some point.”

Alyssa steps closer, tears in her eyes. “You’re sure?” She checks, one last time, eyes darting between Emma’s.

Emma cups her cheek, heedless of the frosting that still remains. “I’ve only been more sure about one thing in my whole life.” She threads her free hand with Alyssa’s, and taps Alyssa's gold wedding ring softly with her thumb. Alyssa’s hands drop to Emma’s waist and pull her in tightly into a searing kiss.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later, when the cookies have been decorated and the kitchen has been cleaned, Emma pulls her guitar out of the case to rest on their bed. 

“Time for Christmas Eve gifts?” She asks hopefully, and Alyssa grins at her from where she’s setting the movie up.

“Sure, love.” Alyssa says, abandoning the remote in favor of rummaging through her suitcase. Emma watches her curiously.

“Okay, so, I didn’t have time to wrap it,” Alyssa says apologetically, “but here you go.”

She hands Emma a guitar strap, leather on one side and with needlepoint stitching on the other.

“I knew yours was getting really worn, so I wanted to give you this one.” Alyssa explains, as Emma is silently pouring over every detail. There are four nature scenes in four circles, spanning from the shoulder area downward, with plenty of empty space after them. “Betsy has been showing me how to needlepoint.” Alyssa continues, and Emma’s eyes flick up to her, wide in disbelief at the implication that Alyssa made this for her. 

“Each scene, um,” Alyssa says, growing slightly nervous at Emma’s silence, “represents an important place for us. The first is the park we used to meet up at in Edgewater, where I kissed you for the first time. The second is the Hudson by our apartment in the city when we were at school, and the third is from the gazebo by our apartment where you proposed to me. The last one is from Santorini, where we honeymooned in Greece. And I’m gonna need you to say something, love, you’re starting to worry me.”

“Alyssa, I-” Emma says, hand coming up to swipe at the tears running down her face, “this is…. I love you so much.”

She clambers over the bed to bury her face in Alyssa’s neck, who cradles her gently, pressing kisses to Emma’s face wherever she can reach. Emma sniffles, and Alyssa scratches at her scalp comfortingly.

“God, my gift sucks compared to that.” Emma says once she sits back up, wiping the last tears from her face. Alyssa laughs.

“I’m sure I will love it, honey.” 

Emma reaches for her guitar, throwing her old guitar strap across the room dramatically in order to attach the new one. “The old one is dead to me,” she explains, “this is the only one I’ll ever use again.” Alyssa smiles at her as Emma tunes her guitar.

“Alright, so, again, not much, but I know it’s your favorite, so I wanted to learn it for you.”

She strums a chord to find her pitch, and plays the opening notes to Sugarland’s “Gold and Green”. Alyssa gasps.

“ _Christmas trees, and window panes,_ ” Emma sings softly, and Alyssa’s eyes alight, “ _shimmering, where tinsel hangs,_ ”

She goes through the whole song, only slightly pared down with one voice and a guitar, but Alyssa knows it’s already her very favorite version of the song. She joins Emma for her favorite chorus, resting a hand on her wife’s knee.

“ _Everything looks better in gold and green.”_ Alyssa laughs when Emma gestures between the two of them, “ _The lights on the tree in the eyes of our children are the prettiest I’ve ever seen,_ ”

Emma wraps up the chorus on her own, singing “ _and the world decides to sleep safe tonight._ ” And wraps the song up beautifully with a few lightly strummed chords.

She takes the guitar off and sets it at the foot of the bed, pulling Alyssa and her watery smile into a tight hug.

“I love you more than I can possibly say, Emma.” Alyssa says, kissing her cheek with all the emotion she can. Emma tangles her hands into Alyssa’s hair. 

“You are the best thing in my life, Alyssa Greene. You have given me all my best days. From the day you first kissed me to the day you put my ring on your finger, and every day in between.”

“I can’t wait to give you all my best days too, Emma. Every day with you is my best day.”

“Merry Christmas, baby.”

“Merry Christmas, my love.”

**Author's Note:**

> Did I have a literal list of cheesy tropes I wanted to include in this? Maybe so. You can't prove anything. ;) <3


End file.
